I grew up in the Methodist Church situated within a democracy. Since it was situated (in my case) within the American democracy, the congregations were largely self-selecting. For example, if you were an atheist you were free not to come to church, and few if any ever did. The rule of self-selection largely obtains to all organizations within a democracy-- whether a service club, an upper level educational institution, or even workplace. To a greater or lesser extent, one is always free to participate or not to participate in any specific organization. Additionally, the values of democracy are largely incorporated within its encompassed organizations; thus we find micromanagement operating at a minimum. That is, purpose and accountability predominate over legalistic specificity and goose-step rigidity.
The Methodist Church has The Book of Discipline, but its primary utility in predominant practice is to adorn bookshelves and to give a sense of rectitude. In my experience the principle business of the Methodist Church is to share in the love of Christ– all else is merely a tool used to implement this overarching purpose. So I perforce conclude that the church, like other organizations situated within a democracy, experientially find the values of democracy profoundly subversive to occasional flights of autocratic fancy no matter how staidly defended as righteous.
Print Page
